Whips and Rocks: the search for Ursa
by Marla.and.RubyT
Summary: Jun has been hired by Firelord Zuko to track down his mother, sending with her a certain blind earthbender we all know and love. Not a romance!
1. Babysitting?

**Just a concept RubyT scribbled down a long time ago. If people are intrested, we'll keep going. If not, we'll leave it alone to collect dust with thousands of other abandoned ATLA stories. Pairings may vary, because Marla has a (not so) secret love of crack pairings that she's been wanting to unleash upon an unsuspecting world. However it will not be Toph/Jun. We promise to keep things purely platonic between them.**

**This is our first attempt at an epic and we aren't really taking it seriously. Its not very well written and who knows how often we'll update it. (_If_ we update it)**

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Jun hastily dismounted her Shirshu and stood to face the looming building ahead. Bidding Nyla a temporary farewell, the woman smirked as she studied the complex gold and red structure before her, still clutching her whip in one hand, and an unsealed letter in the other. "The Firenation palace huh?" she muttered flatly. "Some things never change."

Taking one last second to view the surroundings, she then began mounting the massive staircase step by step. The sinking sun overhead told her she was a bit early, but she couldn't care less. Jun appeared when she damn well wanted to appear.

At the top of the steps, two red-clothed guards crossed spears to block her path. "The Firelord is not accepting visitors today. Come back tomorrow," she shorter of the two announced in a feminine voice.

Jun sighed and held up the letter. At seeing the golden seal at the bottom, the two instantly straightened up and apologized, uncrossing their spears and allowing her to pass. She glanced at each of them before entering.

'_Damn_,' she thought. '_Security is terrible. How easy could it have been for me to just copy one of these, or steal someone else's? I could be an assassin for all they know. Very sloppy, kid._'

Inside, she met with more guards demanding identification. '_A little better_,' she thought, '_but still lacking_'. One of them took the scroll from her and studied it. Jun could see that he was young and, most likely, a bit too untrained for such a job. She smirked, realizing another flaw in the new Firelord's security.

"I'll announce your arrival," he chirped in a humorously high voice, before turning to enter the door behind him and leaving the silent guards to watch over her.

Neither had helmets, she noted as they gazed down at her with an empty stare only a background character can truly possess. One grunted as his eyes met hers and she easily stared him down, making him glance away in a nervous gesture. She smirked again at this tiny victory.

"He'll see you now," the boy announced, reappearing from behind the door to the throne room. He stood aside and held open the wide entranceway, purposely looking down to avoid her smug expression.

"Thanks kid," she muttered, leaving the hall behind her as she entered into a large, well adorned room. There, at its focal point, sat an empty throne nestled dramatically behind a half-wall of simmering coals, as apart from the roaring flames one would have witnessed in previous times. The only other person was a familiar young man, hair undone for the day, who sat in a humble chair at ground level with her. A massive scar over his left eye marked his, otherwise, handsome features, leaving no chance of her mistaking his identity.

Firelord Zuko looked up from the notes on the table ahead of him and flashed his guest a warm smile. "Jun, your early. Come in. Sorry for the mess."

"Not exactly the most terrifying Firelord, are you?" she mused, taking a seat across from him and ignoring the honorable greeting one was suppose to give upon meeting such an important man. "Why aren't you up in your throne?"

He shrugged. "Because I'm more comfortable down here. Besides, these are important documents, I need to be able to study them closely," the new Firelord explained, his expression blank as he began shuffling some papers around.

Jun propped her feet up on a portion of the table not obscured by papers and maps; now just testing the waters to see how improper she could get without being hassled for it. "So, what do you need? You said in your letter that you may be interested in my services, right?"

Zuko glanced up at her for a split second. "Please put your feet down." She reluctantly obliged, watching him as he leaned up in his seat and began.

"Yes. I need you to help me find someone."

She nodded, her expression changing to appear slightly more professional. "Who?"

He pulled out a copy of a prestigious painting and slid it across the table. On it was an elegant woman in royal robes. She had raven-colored hair and golden eyes that seemed to sparkle, even in painting-form. Her expression radiated a soft warmth, despite an unsmiling face.

"Her name is Ursa. I want you to find any information you can on her and bring it back. This is of vital importance."

Jun studied it a second more before setting it down. "Hmm, pretty, but she seems kind of old for you. How long has she been missing?"

"About six years. She was banished when I was a child," he told her, turning his face away. "But I have reason to believe she may still be alive."

"What'd she do?"

He closed his eyes; thinking for a moment. "I'm not sure…"

The bounty hunter leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs, studying Zuko carefully. "Where was she last seen?"

"I don't know that either. For all I know, she could be on the other side of the world right now."

Jun sighed. "You're not giving me much to work on, here. You at least have her scent, right?"

"No, but I have this," he said, sliding a medium-sized box under the table over to her. In it, Jun found three pairs of elegant shoes, appearing long-forgotten, but otherwise unscratched. "They belong to a man named Ziu. He was my grandfather's head of security in his later years. After the night he died, Ziu was granted a considerable raise in status, despite being highly unqualified."

She rolled her eyes impatiently. "So what does that have to do with the girl?"

Zuko looked up at her, his serious expression almost making her backtrack. "That was the night my mother, Ursa, disappeared. I'll bet anything the two incidents are related, and I'm guessing Ziu may have been paid off to keep his mouth shut. I'm not sure exactly what happened that night, but if anybody were to know, it would be him."

"Do you really think he'd know where she is?"

"After I was banished, Ziu and his men helped escort me and my Uncle out of the Firenation. I'm sure he did the same for her." Zuko shrugged, suddenly appearing slightly discouraged. "It's a long shot, but it's the best lead we have."

Jun sighed. "This'll cost you. Having so little to work with aint easy."

"Money isn't a problem," he assured her, a sense of determination returning. "I'll even give you some ahead of time for travel costs and supplies."

She raised a brow, crossing her arms as she did. "How do you know I won't just take off with that and leave?"

"I trust you," Zuko answered, a half-smile on his face. "Besides, I'm not making you go alone. I have a friend that will be of much help, I'm sure."

"I work alone," Jun growled, grey eyes boring into him at the thought of her talents being underestimated.

"She is an expert interrogator, and very useful in a pinch. I promise you won't regret taking her."

Suddenly the young guard from earlier slunk into the throne room and up to the table. He bowed deeply, but before he could speak the doors burst open and in stepped a girl far too small to have made such an entrance naturally.

Zuko smiled upon seeing her and motioned the guard off with his hand. "Excellent timing, Toph."

Jun scowled, arms still crossed as she studied the girl. "Excuse me; we're in the middle of something."

Whoever this 'Toph' was, she now stood at about five feet with one hand on her hip, bare feet planted firmly to the ground. '_Earthbender'_ the bounty hunter recognized; the girl's stance alone was enough to tell her that. She wore dark green clothing that contrasted greatly with her pale, nobility skin, and even more so with her dark, braided hair. Most noticeably, however, this girl's seafoam eyes drifted off into the distance in an unfocused gaze. She was clearly blind, though it didn't seem to be much of an issue as Jun watched her stroll across the room and plant herself into a chair at Zuko's left.

Ignoring his guest's dismissive tone, Toph suddenly jabbed her old friend in the shoulder. "You miss me Sparky? How's creepy knife girl doing?"

Wincing and rubbing where he had been hit, the Firelord still didn't drop the smile from his face. "She has a name you know."

"Yeah I know, but it's boring. I prefer creepy knife girl."

Rolling her eyes, Jun made no hesitation to interrupt. "This is great and all, but some of us have a job to do. Why don't you run along and play, little girl?"

The earthbender straightened, her glazed eyes narrowing. "What did you call me?" she scowled.

Zuko flashed the room a nervous smile, the tension hanging thick over his head. "Jun, this is Toph Bei Fong. She will be accompanying you on your travels."

The bounty hunter stopped studying their new arrival long enough to shoot him a disbelieving look. "I didn't realize I was getting paid to babysit."

"Okay lady, that's it! Stand up and we'll see how well you can 'babysit' without a head!" Toph erupted, her short fuse shining though as she pounded a fist onto the wooden table. Several papers skidded to the ground and Zuko gasped, reaching down to collect them.

Jun just shrugged, unimpressed by her threat. "Damn, you're cranky. It's not passed your bed time is it?"

"Now that's enough!" the Firelord demanded, trying his best to gain control of the situation as Toph leapt to her feet, wooden chair scraping across the floor in her haste. "Jun, Toph is a well-respected war hero and master earthbender. I will not have you disrespecting her any more."

"Give me something to respect, and I will."

The short girl flashed a wicked smile, causing a knot to twist in her friend's stomach as they awaited her response. "Fine. Just watch and prepare to be amazed."

"Toph, I…"

But before he could manage the words, the earthbender suddenly got into her horse stance, raised her arms, and yanked them down in one powerful movement. Responding to this action, a generous amount of the metal scaffolding was ripped from the ceiling of the building and flung towards her. From there, it enveloped her entire body into one movable metallic shell. Even Jun couldn't help but be impressed as she gazed upon metal-Toph, still flowing though each of her stances with grace as she continued to rip apart the stone floorings and toss large chunks of rock into nearby statues and suits of armor, successfully destroying them with ease.

When she was done, the girl carelessly discarded her metallic armor and tossed it aside before slumping back down into her chair and propping her feet up on the wooden table. A wide smirk painted on her face, Toph simply waved a dismissive hand in the air as if it had been one of the most natural things in the world. "Amazed yet?" she asked in a lazy tone.

Jun smiled, both girls ignoring the dumbfounded Firelord currently struggling for the proper words to express his horror. Somewhere another piece of metal scaffolding crashed from the ceiling onto the floor. Not a single statue remained intact. Even the north wall had now crumbled into such a condition that he could look outside and into the gardens.

"Firelord Zuko, you've got yourself a deal."

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**See? Lame. Badly written. But it _does_**** have potential. Tell us what you think.**

******Oh, and neither RubyT or Marla own ATLA. ********-_whew-_**** We almost forgot to say that...**


	2. Transportation Issues

**Do to all the positive feedback, as well as me and Marla's desire to procrastinate on our homework, we have cranked out this little fun chapter for all of you. Its really just filler, but it was fun to write. This is actually great, because we only ever write one-shots that require an entire story in one chapter, but here we can just sort of roll with it and see what happens.**

**Oh and we don't own anything in Avatar the Last Airbender. We wish we did though. How awsome would it be to own a Shirshu?**

* * *

"I am _not_ riding that thing."

"Then don't. Have fun walking, princess loudmouth."

Both girls stood with their arms crossed, Nyla between them scratching at his muzzle with one massive paw. Watching nearby, Firelord Zuko and Lady Mai stood at the top of the palace steps. "Why haven't they left yet?" he whispered as his fiancé was busy investigating the condition of her own nails.

Mai shrugged. "Looks to me like their have trouble with their transportation," she replied with a board sigh. Far off in the distance, sunlight gleamed off over the horizon; indicating that the duo was already far behind schedule.

Curiosity winning out, Zuko left her side and treaded down the impressive stairway until he was within earshot of the girls' conversation.

"Can't we just hook a wagon up to it or something? How could you possibly ride that thing for _hours_ at a time?" Toph's voice protested.

Jun frowned. "_He_ is actually very comfortable." Interrupting their argument, Nyla suddenly nudged a giant, furry head against his master. Her expression sweetening in an instant, the older woman gently stroked behind her Shirshu's ears, before turning back towards her new partner and scowling once more. "Now are you coming or not?"

The earthbender pouted. "Of course I'm coming. I'm just not gonna squeeze onto a tiny saddle, where I can't even see anything, and hang on _you_ for a whole day."

"Then I guess you're out of luck than aren't you? Don't worry, I'll send you a souvenir."

Finally reaching the bottom of the palace's ridiculously tall staircase (or at least it was in his opinion at that moment), the Firelord stepped between the both of them, slightly out of breath. After a second of heavy breathing, at which both women just rolled their eyes, Zuko butted his way into the conversation. "Maybe we could all just reach a compromise. Would a bigger saddle help?"

"No," the oldest of them deadpanned, still stroking her pet with one hand. "I don't want Nyla to be uncomfortable."

The earthbender scoffed. "Oh yeah, I wouldn't _dare_ imagine upsetting that drooling monster. How about we just toss me in a sack? Would that make you happy, man-hands?"

Breaking her cool demeanor for a split second, Jun self-consciously adjusted her black gloves and snapped back. "Your one to talk!"

Toph smirked at the woman's slight break in defenses. Meanwhile, Zuko, sensing the potential danger in the air, racked his brain for ideas. "Well…how did you get here yesterday Toph?"

She shrugged. "I took a ferry to get across the ocean, but otherwise I usually just run."

Jun flashed her an inquiring look. "I don't think you could keep up with Nyla no matter how fast you are, kid."

"Well, its not normal running. I use my earthbending to kind of skate across the ground really fast. It wears me out after a while, but I can cover more ground that way."

Zuko glanced between the two of them. "Enough to keep up with a full-grown shirshu?" he asked hopefully.

"I don't see why not."

Finally he smiled, clapping his hands together as the matter seemed resolved. "That's it then. All you have to do is ride him when you need to cross water or something, but otherwise, Toph, you can just do that."

Jun seemed to relax, content with the solution. Toph however, visibly tensed and tilted her head down. Bangs that had been once been tucked securely behind her ears cascaded into the blind girl's face. "Uh…sure, right. Sounds great."

"What now?" the bounty hunter groaned, twisting Nyla's whip between her fingers as her impatience grew.

The girl nervously began rubbing at her arm. "Well…I would rather not have to ride it at all…" she replied uneasily, a strong sense of discomfort in her words. "I can't really see, so it would be kind of easy for me to fall off, you know? Plus if it's over water…"

Zuko offered an understanding smile and patted his friend's shoulder. "It's okay Toph. Jun wouldn't let you fall." He turned to face said bounty hunter, his expression almost skeptical. "Right Jun?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can we go now, or am I gonna have to listen to more of your blind-girl pity party?" she replied coolly, reaching into a small saddle bag and pulling out one of the shoes that Zuko had given her the other day. The shirshu sniffed it, then tilted his head into the air to locate a scent.

The others frowned. "Gee, that's reassuring…" Toph mumbled, feeling the other girl lift one foot into Nyla's stirrup and leverage herself onto the his back. "See ya Sparky. Don't be surprised if I show up with your mom alone after brutally _murdering_ man-hands, over here."

Jun again couldn't help but glance down at her palms, scowling at the girl's comment reguarding them. "Let's just go already," she growled. "There are some docks up ahead so you should just climb on now and save us the trouble later."

Nodding, Toph took a cautious step towards the creature before her and gently touched his side. Nyla tensed, caught slightly off guard from the contact. "Easy boy…" the bender mumbled, reaching up blindly for her partner's hand to help hoist herself up.

Jun grabbed it, and with one arm, slung the petite girl up into the saddle behind her. "Hold on," she warned, smirking as she lifted her whip-welding arm up in preparation. Obeying, Toph security fastened her arms around the woman's waist and took a deep breath. Zuko offered a few parting words before they left, of which neither girl really cared to listen to.

Then Toph heard the crack of a whip, followed by Nyla bucking slightly backwards in response. She cringed and hugged the older woman tighter, burying her face into the back of her shirt. Jun just chuckled. _"Nice to know there's something that can shut this girl up,"_ she thought before snapping the whip again and commanding her pet to spring into action, taking off and kicking up dust in his wake as Jun ordered him forward at full speed.

Zuko, after watching the pair disappear off into the distance, was surprised to find that Mai had, at some point, followed him down the stairway at a causal pace and was just now stopping at his side. "They're going to kill each other, you know," she stated as a matter of fact, leaning into his arm.

He sighed. "I hope not. I've already sunk six thousand in gold just for their travel costs."

Mai raised a brow. "Six thousand?"

"Those two can be very persuasive…"

She stared at him blankly for a moment. "…I'm handling all of our financial transactions from now on," was all she responded with, before turning around and gracefully walking up the palace's grand staircase.

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**Hurray for short filler chapter!**

**Oh and if Jun seemed a little harsh with the 'blind-girl pity party' comment, keep in mind that she just watched a thirteen year old girl singlehandedly destroy the Firelord's throne room without even breaking a sweat. The last thing she's going to feel for Toph, is pity. Ever hear of bender envy?**

**Plus sorry for the random man-hands comment. We needed something that Toph could say about Jun that might upset her. RubyT wrote it to fill space, and we just kind of ran with it. We realize Jun probably doesn't _really_ have man-hands.**


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